Reviewed by Lit Amri for Readers' Favorite

A pursuit for a better education, better wealth, and most importantly, a better life. Dan Liu, a university lecturer from China, set his foot on United States with sheer determination to earn a master degree in engineering, a citizenship and to land a better, well-paying job; Liu will make America his new home. Yet his ultimate American dream costs too much for his family, his wife and his integrity. Written by Frank Guo, “A Shattered Dream: A New Immigrant's Life Story” tells the touching story of a man’s endeavor to make his dream a reality in America.

The writing style is quite formal but honest. Liu’s wife Mei Li is a typical, strict and ambitious wife, traits that are so familiar to me – as I am of Asian descent myself. In fact, I hardly raised my eyebrow as all the characters’ personality, their fears, ambitions and how they deal with success or failure are understandable from my own background standpoint. Being an immigrant in a foreign country with high expectations on your shoulders is not just stressful but downright intimidating as well. In the end, the main protagonist surprisingly finds his true goal in life after living nine years in the United States – I won’t spoil the story for the sake of other readers. Frank Guo leaves no stone unturned; everything that you want to know about Chinese immigrants' life and experience in America is all right here in this poignant and realistic novel.